A strategy to enhance migratory fish species in the Weser River Basin according to the aims of the European Water Framework Directive SIMON CHRISTIAN HENNEBERG 1, MATTHIAS SCHOLTEN 2 Keywords: Weser, river morphology, migratory fish, hydro power, EU-WFD 1 Introduction The Water Framework Directive (WFD) has revolutionised water resources management in Europe over the last decade by adjusting the sustainable use of water not only to the supply of human needs but also to the ecological integrity of surface water. With the river basin management plans that were published in December 2009 and adopted in most of the European river basin districts, this new broad integrative approach has reached another milestone. River-basin management plans comprise an overview of the river basin, an analysis of pressures and impacts, a cadastre of protected areas, the assessment of water bodies, strategies and objectives to reduce the effects of significant water management issues and a summary of the programme of measures. But the ambitious objective to achieve a good ecological status or to develop a good ecological potential failed by more than 80% of surface water bodies as indicated by biological quality components like fishes, macrophytes or macrozoobenthos in the Weser River Basin (FGG Weser 2009). Long-distance migratory fish species account for about 20 % of all fish species whereas potamodromous species constitute up to 40% of the fish community in potamal and epipotamal river stretches in the Weser River Basin (FGG Weser 2006). Most of the migratory species are in bad conditions due to low quality of spawning habitats and a high density of obstacles cutting the river continuity (Pusch et al. 2009). In the Weser River Basin the hydromorphological structures of the surface waters have been subject to significant changes during the 19 th and 20 th century, caused not only by measures of navigation, hydropower or flood defence, but also for agriculture and urban development as in other large European Rivers (Tockner et al. 2009). Modifications in the river-channel morphology as well as in hydrological dynamics have strong impacts on the ecological conditions especially on the quality, suitability and availability of habitats for aquatic organism (Carling & Petts 1992; Poff et al. 1999) and particularly on fish fauna (e.g. Bischoff 2002, Schiemer et al. 2001). Therefore a strategy for the improvement of river continuity both at regional and river basin scale has to be developed in close cooperation with the authorities of water resource management and all the affected stakeholders to answer the following questions: Which are the migratory fish species (diadromous and potamodromous) of concern in the Weser River- Basin? Where are sufficient and adequate spawning and juvenile habitat areas? What are the migration routes and is their continuity disrupted by dams? How can priorities of measures set in the future? What is the way to share problems and management issues with the main affected stakeholders? 1 River Basin Commission Weser, General Secretary, An der Scharlake 39, D-31135 Hildesheim, Germany, e-mail: henneberg@fgg-weser.de 2 Federal Institute of Hydrology, Department of Fauna and Animal Ecology, Am Mainzer Tor 1, D - 56068 Koblenz, Germany, e-mail: scholten@bafg.de 1
2 The Weser approach Since 1996 in the Weser River Basin the idea of enhancing existing populations of migratory fish species has been realized. In 2003 the Ministries of Environment competent for the Weser River Basin (River Basin Commission Weser) decided to develop a fundamental strategy as a basis for the basin wide objectives in implementing the WFD. Concrete environmental objectives regarding migratory fish species have been identified, and priorities of measures and areas have been derived considering specific ecological demands of diadromous and potamodromous species as well as the cost effectiveness of measures. The River Basin Commission Weser has decided to develop an approach to deal with this task at different levels at a river basin scale focusing on the supra-regional migration routes and at regional or local scale concentrating on continuity as well as on the spawning and nursery habitats in small streams and rivers. In a first step native migratory fish species have been selected (Tab. 1) analysing historical data about spawning areas and fisheries activities and defining a reference of fish fauna for each water body separately. Table 1. List of target migratory fish species of the Weser River Basin species scientific name migration type mobility river lamprey Lampetra fluviatilis anadromous long distance sea lamprey Petromyzon marinus anadromous long distance twaite shad Alosa fallax anadromous long distance Salmon lachs Salmo salar anadromous long distance sea trout Salmo trutta f. trutta anadromous long distance smelt Osmerus eperlanus anadromous medium distance Three spine stickleback Gasterosteus aculeatus anadromous medium distance Barbel Barbus barbus potamodromous medium distance Ide Leuciscus idus potamodromous medium distance Vimba Vimba vimba potamodromous medium distance Burbot Lota lota potamodromous long distance Eel Anguilla anguilla catadromous long distance In a second step, tributaries which provide suitable and accessible spawning and nursery habitats and which contribute to an ecological network of habitats of diadromous species and populations of potamodromous species have been identified. The migration routes in between were identified and classified in supraregional routes (Weser and the lower parts of Werra and Fulda) and routes of regional importance. Fig. 1 presents the maximum setting of migration routes in the Weser River Basin; it encompasses all target species and approximately 1,900 km including 212 obstructions. In a third step the function of fish passes was evaluated by technical criteria (DWA 2006) and need for action was classified for each obstacle separately. Additionally, improvements including cost estimates of each construction for better continuity were recommended. Availability of spawning nursery habitats was estimated with respect to the expected efficiency of fish pass function. In a last step the relevance of each obstacle was estimated by criteria for anadromous, catadromous and potamodromous species separately (Tab. 2). Priorities of measures have been identified for each obstruction with respect to the ecological relevance and the need for action to improve fish migration. Priorities were classified in four categories and for up- and separately. 2
Figure 1. Migration routes of basin wide interest in the Weser River Basin Table 2. Criteria for assessing the relevance of each obstruction for the different migratory fish species anadromous catadromous potamodromous Potential of habitat network Dimension and accessibility of potentially appropriate spawning and juvenile habitat areas upstream of the obstruction Dimension of potential eel habitats upstream of the obstruction Dimension of potential appropriate spawning and juvenile habitats Distance to the next reproductive population (stream effect) Potential damages of Potential effects of damages at caused by turbines Potential effects of damages at caused by turbines - Relevant assessment due to the EU-WFD - Part of the reference community in the water body upstream Part of the reference community in the water body upstream 3
anadromous catadromous potamodromous Comparison between current population status and reference conditions Requirements due to the Natura 2000 Directive Number and position of the Natura 2000 areas with anadromous fish species in the Weser River Basin - - - criteria has no relevance for this fish species From the river basin management point of view a separate process for the main migration route has been established to discuss the restoration of continuity with the hydropower companies, the administration for shipways, the association for fishery and the Federal States in charge with the water resource management issues. A small core working group has been installed supported by special surveys to answer questions on technical feasibility and cost effectiveness and to discuss different strategies of solutions. By combining all information a strategy has been elaborated by the head office of the Weser River Basin Commission to be adjusted to the requirements of the members of the core working group. This strategy contains elements to optimise the up- and downstream continuity in a three phase system (Tab. 3). Table 3. Weser River Basin fish strategy. Overview of measures regarding the necessities of each location and time schedule 4
3 Outlook and Conclusions The procedure described has been the basis for the identification of relevant areas and possible measures at the main obstacles in the supra-regional migration routes with respect to fish ecological demands concerning continuous passage of corridors and connectivity of habitats. The associated costs of potential measures have been estimated about 100 M and, hence, the technical feasibility assessed. Looking at ecological benefits and cost effectiveness priority measures have to be derived. Results and experiences from regional projects as well as already available data are taken into account and are being looked at from a river basin wide perspective. Fish ecological priorities and the cost effectiveness analysis will provide the basis for a priority list of measures. The objectives are identified in an iterative process analogue to the set priorities at a river basin wide scale. These objectives will have an effect on local and regional objectives and, hence, a top-down and bottom-up process of information and negotiation is necessary, between the administration in charge with water resource management issues and the different stakeholder groups in the entire Weser River Basin. Such participatory procedures have been proven very successful and lower in costs than traditional topdown procedures. References Bischoff, A. (2002): Juvenile fish recruitment in the large lowland river Oder. Assessing the role of physical factors and habitat availability. Shaker Verlag, Aachen, 156 pp. Carling, P.A. & Petts, G.E. (1992): Lowland Floodplain Rivers. Geomorphic Perspectives. Wiley, Chichester, UK. DWA (Deutsche Vereinigung für Wasserwirtschaft, Abwasser und Abfall e.v.) (2006): Funktionskontrolle von Fischaufstiegsanlagen, DWA Themenheft 2005, Hennef, 123 pp. FGG Weser (2006): Die Fisch- und Rundmaularten in der Flussgebietseinheit Weser - eine Übersicht Hildesheim, 13 pp. FGG Weser (2009): Bewirtschaftungsplan für die Flussgebietseinheit Weser, Hildesheim, 132 pp. Poff, N.L., Allen, J. D., Bain, M.B., Karr, J.R., Prestegaard, K.L., Richter, B.D., Sparks, R.E., Stromberg, J.C. (1997): The Natural Flow Regime A paradigm for river conservation and restoration. BioScience 47 (11), 769-784. Pusch, M., Andersen, H.E., Bäthe, J., Behrendt, H., Fischer, H., Friberg, N., Gancarczyk, A., Hoffmann, C.C., Hachoł, J., Kronvang, B., Nowacki, F., Pedersen, M.L., Sandin, L., Schöll, F., Scholten, M., Stendera, S., Svendsen. L.M., Wnuk-Gławdel, E., Wolter, C. (2009): Rivers of the Central Highlands and Plains. In: Tockner, K., Uehlinger, U. and Robinson, C. T. (Eds): Rivers of Europe. Academic Press, London, 525-576. Schiemer, F., Keckeis, H., Winkler, G., Flore, L. (2001): Large rivers: the relevance of ecotonal structure and hydrological properties for the fish fauna. - Archiv für Hydrobiologie / Suppl. 135, Large Rivers 12/2-4, 487-508. Tockner, K., Uehlinger, U., & C.T. Robsinson (eds) 2009. Rivers of Europe. Academic Press. 700 pp. 5